Page 12 of Slick Handling

“I’m just going to go lay down. Is that okay?” He nods his head and goes to say something else but I’m already moving up the stairs towards where Apollo’s bedroom is.

I hope he doesn’t think I’m a lazy daisy.

My goal is to hide under the covers and maybe text someone and let them know I got here. Or maybe Apollo already did that. I guess I could check my emails and see what’s going on with my classes and those things. Martha said I would be starting on Monday, she had gotten everything arranged for me.

School was going to be hard.

The only real school I’ve ever been to was The Omega Academy.

Grammy sent me to the library with some of the other kids when I was still learning my numbers and things. That was only for a few hours a day before we were sent back home where we were taught the things that we should know.

At home, I learned how to clean and cook. Grammy was also the seamstress for the village we lived in so she would teach me how to sew buttons when I was younger and then I steadily worked my way up.

It was a practical education.

The problem with practical education is that when I went to the academy I wasn’t like the other girls. Being a little older than most of them made me feel awkward. Not knowing anything about my designation made things even harder for me.

Growing up, Alphas and Omegas weren’t really talked about. I knew about them but everyone always said that they had problems we wouldn’t face in our village. Betas had been overlooked by other designations for so long I should feel lucky to live somewhere that we were treated well.

At school, the girls all had pretty things that they decorated their space with. Soft blankets and stuffed animals. These soft lights that they would hang around their room so the bright lights wouldn’t hurt their eyes. All their clothes were store bought and they wore makeup to class.

The embarrassment I had felt in Omega hygiene was something that still made my cheeks burn with shame.

I hadn’t known about shaving or trimming things. When hair grew on my legs I had been told by one of the girls at the library to shave to my knee so that it didn’t show. I didn’t know about shaving other things.

The professor had explained about slick friction with hair and how to avoid that with different creams and things. I had been shocked to find out girls shavedthereor waxed it.

One of the girls had seen how uncomfortable I was and she told me about how the school provided a salon where they did everything. After class she took me down there and the embarrassment of showing someone my curls had mortified me.

It was an older Alpha woman named Bernie who trimmed and waxed me. She told me about her Omega Sasha who taught a class at the school about packs. She was kind to me and made sure I wasn’t changing anything that I didn’t want to.

She also showed me these cool gem tattoos that I could wear on the bare skin.

Right now I have a heart on.

It made me feel like I didn’t know about my body. Omega studies had been hard because for so long I learned about being a Beta. Was living my life as a Beta and part of my identity was taken away from me when I presented.

My community shunning me had not done me any favors either.

After Grammy died I was alone all the time. They didn’t know what to do with me. All that was clear was I wasn’t welcome.

When the Council sent someone for me to invite me to the academy, I packed a bag and left the same day.

I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I didn’t know just how much I had to gain until I was free from a place that I had thought was home until it wasn’t.

With my laptop dug out from my luggage, I crawl back into Apollo’s bed, wrapping the blanket around me.

There is a class schedule for me. Just a few classes English, History, and a class called Pack Dynamics. Martha emailed me a schedule for Tuesday and Thursday where I will be doing my Omega studies. It’s a full day from 8am until 5pm learning about my designation. Since I won’t be at the academy, the stipend that Omegas receive while they’re in school will be set up in an account for me along with a little extra since I won’t be getting all my needs met on campus.

I sent her a thank you back, knowing she will get in touch with me with all the fine details of things later. For now at least I know what the basic plan is going to be.

Pulling the blanket tighter around me I shut the laptop and lay down, wishing that I was in my nest in the dorm room. It wasn’t a lot but it was mine and I think I took for granted how nice it was to have things that were mine.

Now I’m somewhere new relying on more people to help me. When am I going to be able to help myself?

The bed dips, making my eyes flick open as I try to make sense of where I am and what is going on. The sense of danger doesn’t wash over me but the sugary scent of Coca-Cola does.

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